Equipped with multiple ST ICs, it enables key functions and contributes to extended battery life and product miniaturization.

ST announced that its sensing, control, and communication technologies were applied to PIQ’s sports wearable product, which was launched in 2015. First introduced in the golf and tennis fields for performance measurement and coaching, PIQ’s multi-sport sensor tracks hand and wrist movements across multiple axes to provide accurate 3D analysis, thereby helping to improve athletic performance and technique. Measuring just 44 x 39 x 5 millimeters and weighing only 10 grams, the product is easy to wear on a wristband, clip directly onto a golf glove, or attach to a glove strap.

In the tennis sector, they collaborated with Babolat, a French manufacturer of tennis strings and rackets. A wrist display shows statistics such as speed and lift, and data for each shot is shared via a mobile application for detailed analysis. It is utilized as a golf sensor in Mobitee's golf accessories and digital course maps to display the distance to the green and share data, allowing users to immediately review information from the previous shot. In skiing, they partnered with Rossignol to launch a strap and mobile application capable of recording glide data and analyzing jumps and turns. With this product, you can enjoy competing with friends for records while skiing.

"We aim to support the best user experience by providing every possible metric to make sports activities more enjoyable. ST's best solutions for control, sensing, communications, and power management helped us achieve this, and we chose ST as our one-stop supplier without hesitation. This has allowed us to take another step forward toward our ambitious goal of expanding our portfolio of applications and partners to 24 sports and games," said Cédric Mangaud, CEO of PIQ.

Use BlueNRG™, connect with smartphone
The area is only 1.19 mm²

PIQ is equipped with ST’s high-performance, high-efficiency microcontroller STM32F4 to provide the performance required for complex processing of sensor data. The STM32F4’s various power management functions minimize power consumption, helping to maximize battery life, a key parameter of wearable devices.

In addition, PIQ’s Bluetooth® wireless subsystem is connected to a smartphone using ST’s Bluetooth Smart wireless controller, BlueNRG™. BlueNRG boasts best-in-class low power consumption, and using the BALF-NRG chip for the wireless antenna connection also provides space-saving benefits. The BALF-NRG utilizes ST’s Integrated Passive Devices (IPD) technology to occupy only 1.19 mm² on the circuit board while offering enhanced wireless performance.

ST's outstanding MEMS technology also contributed to the integration of the LPS25HB pressure sensor. ST is a leader in the wearable MEMS and sensor market, holding over 25 percent market share according to IHS, and possesses approximately 1,000 MEMS-related patents and applications worldwide. It is also equipped with the STBC02 lithium battery charging controller, which helps maximize power management and battery life through superior performance and efficiency. The STM6600 smart push-button controller is used for the on/off and reset buttons.

Uses ST's STM32F0, equipped with ARM® Cortex®-M cores

ST also supplies key components for the battery charger of this PIQ sensor. This charger is a separate device that uses the STBCFG01, a high-efficiency battery charging IC that provides smart charging control functions, the LD39130S, a miniature high-precision voltage regulator, and the STM32F0, a low-cost, power-efficient battery charging system microcontroller.

The STM32F4, STM32F0, and BlueNRG Bluetooth ICs are equipped with ARM® Cortex®-M cores. ST is the world's largest supplier of ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers, offering a product portfolio across all cores, ranging from the M0, M0+, M3, M4, to the latest M7.

Philip Lolies, EMEA Vice President of Marketing and Applications at ST, said, “PIQ’s multi-sport sensor is a remarkable achievement that takes wearable devices to the next level. The selection of multiple ST components for this project is a prime example of how our ultra-small, power-sensitive devices and related design implementation tools can enable solutions for the next generation of smart things.”